This invention relates to a disposable pull-on diaper adapted to absorb and contain body fluids discharged thereon, and more particularly, to such a diaper having disposal securing means.
Japanese Utility Model Application Disclosure No. 1995-39816 describes a disposable pull-on diaper comprising a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between the sheets to define, in a longitudinal direction of the diaper, a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending between the waist regions. A pair of end flaps lying in the front and rear waist regions, respectively, define a waist-hole and a pair of side flaps define a pair of leg-holes.
The end flaps are provided therein with a plurality of elastically stretchable members one of which can be drawn out from the end flaps through a cut formed in one of the end flaps. The elastically stretchable member drawn out from the end flaps serves as a rubber band used to fasten the diaper which has been used and rolled up. Thus, the used diaper can be maintained in a rolled up and fastened state for disposal.
In the diaper disclosed above, the waist-hole of the used and rolled up diaper can be closed only in the vicinity of the longitudinal center line along which the elastic member lies when the used diaper is rolled up with the waist-hole facing outside. The elastic members have almost no fastening effect on transversely opposite sides of the waist-hole which are remote from the vicinity of the longitudinal center line. Consequently, the rolled up diaper tends to be unrolled and the waist-hole tends to be opened. As a result, excretion may leak together with its odor outside.
It is an object of this invention to provide a disposable pull-on diaper which can be rolled up for disposal after use without any apprehension that excretion and odor might leak outside.
This and other objects of the present invention are achieved by a disposable pull-on diaper which comprises a diaper body, at least one elastically stretchable fastening member, and a hook member. The diaper body has, in a longitudinal direction thereof, a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending therebetween. The diaper body comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet, a liquid-impervious backsheet and a liquid-absorbent core disposed between the topsheet and backsheet. The front and rear waist regions are joined together along respective transversely opposite side edges thereof to define a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes. At least one elastically stretchable fastening member is provided on one of a front half of the diaper body which front half extends from a transverse center line of the diaper bisecting the crotch region toward the front waist region, and a rear half of the diaper body which rear half extends from the transverse center line toward the rear waist region. The at least one elastically stretchable fastening member extends transversely of the diaper body across a longitudinal center line bisecting a dimension between the transversely opposite side edges of the front and rear waist regions. The at least one elastically stretchable fastening member comprises opposite end portions and an intermediate portion extending between the opposite end portions. The opposite end portions are directly secured to the diaper body whereas the intermediate portion is not directly secured to and separable from the diaper body. The intermediate portion of the fastening member is exposed on an outer surface of the backsheet. A hook member is provided on the longitudinal center line in the one of the front and rear halves to catch the intermediate portion of the fastening member when the diaper body is rolled up, after use, with the intermediate portion of the fastening member extending around the rolled diaper body.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the at least one elastically stretchable fastening member includes at least a pair of elastically stretchable fastening members extending in parallel and spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction. Preferably, the intermediate portions of the pair of elastically stretchable fastening members have different dimensions.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the at least one elastically stretchable fastening member includes at least a pair of elastically stretchable fastening members, the intermediate portions of the pair of elastically stretchable fastening members intersect each other in a vicinity of the longitudinal center line.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the intermediate portion extends between transversely opposite side edges of the core.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, the at least one fastening member is secured under no tension to the diaper body.
The above mentioned object and other objects of the present invention are also achieved by a disposable pull-on diaper which comprises a diaper body and securing means for securing the diaper body in a rolled-up state, after use. The diaper body has, in a longitudinal direction thereof, a front waist region, a rear waist region and a crotch region extending therebetween, the front and rear waist regions being joined together along respective transversely opposite side edges thereof to define a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes. The securing means includes an elastically stretchable fastening member and a hook member. The elastically stretchable fastening member is provided in an upper zone of one of the front and rear waist regions and extends transversely of the diaper body, opposite ends of the elastically stretchable fastening member are secured to the diaper body at locations adjacent the transversely opposite side edges of the front and rear waist regions. The hook member is provided in a middle zone of the one of the front and rear waist regions between the elastically stretchable fastening member and the crotch region, so as to hook the elastically stretchable fastening member which extends around the rolled-up diaper body, after use.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention the diaper body has an outer surface and an inner surface. The opposite ends of the elastically stretchable fastening member are laid between the outer and inner surfaces. The elastically stretchable fastening member further includes a middle portion extending between the opposite ends. The middle portion is exposed on the outer surface of the diaper body in the one of the front and rear waist regions.
In the disposable diaper of the present invention, regions of the diaper which are placed upon each other on the outer peripheral surface of the diaper and rolled up for disposal are collapsed, closed and reliably maintained in the rolled-up state by the fastening member. The fastening member in this state is branched in at least two sections by the hook member and is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rolled up diaper. The diaper is thus held in the rolled-up state by the at least two sections of the fastening member, and is restrained from being unrolled in a more secure manner than the above mentioned prior art. In this way, it is very unlikely that the rolled diaper might be partially reopened, and excretion and odor might leak outside.